1000th Post - My IM Journey!

Well, here I am, my 1000th post. Feels like just yesterday that I joined BHW and was a complete n00b. My IM journey does go a little further back than BHW, and I?ll briefly go over that next. Buckle down. This is the longest post I've ever made.

I started IM when I was 15 or so, when I ran across Digital Point (what a mistake that was, haha). First site I ever had was a free blogger blog, I went to some article directories, basically threw on some articles, applied to Adsense, and once accepted, and threw on some ads. Well, few weeks later, I was disappointed as hell cause no one had clicked on my ads, lmao. I was young and impatient, and fair to say, after a couple more weeks of reading, I gave up.

Fast forward to 2009, I was 17, and I decided to get back into IM. My family and I had recently moved, and it was difficult on me moving in the middle of high school. I had so much free time now though, so I thought, heck, why not get back into IM and actually give it a good go this time? Well I did. Unfortunately, I was still stuck in the whole mentality of ?get rich quick?, and most of the methods I tried failed (mostly with CPA). I pretty much had one month where I succeeded, and pulled in 5 figures which was probably the BEST month of my life. I gave every last penny to my parents. They didn?t really need it, but it was just a way of showing my appreciation for all they?d done for me.

I got a bit lazy after my method stopped working, and again, had sort of went into quitting mode again. But then, here comes the good stuff. This past summer (2011), I really got into grinding mode. I was tired of just sitting around, and it really hit me that no one was going to hand me over success on a silver platter. So in August of 2011, I started a few micro niche sites. Wrote most of the content myself, ordered a few services from around BHW (keep in mind, my budget was very limited, so I was careful how I spent). Got all of my sites ranking fairly well, was getting decent traffic, but only one of them was getting clicks. I?m the type of guy who likes to quickly figure out what isn?t working, see if there are any solutions, and if not, scrap it. Ads were well placed on those sites, but I just concluded that they weren?t buyer keywords, and didn?t entice users to click. Sold those sites, and focused on what was working.

Earnings in August and September were low, not really worth mentioning. But as I started targeting different keywords on my site, things picked up. October I pulled in $61.00 from that on Adsense. Sure, not a lot of money at all, but to me, it was PROGRESS (and that?s what mattered the most). That pushed me to keep going, and I started another site which I?ve been working to turn into an authority style site. Ranking on page 1 and 2 for 3 highly searched keywords currently, and am consistently working on pushing those up. This site is gonna be a keeper.

Now, back to my MNS. In November, things got better. Pulled in around $140 from my MSN, so more than DOUBLE my earnings. Again, not a lot of money, but hey, I doubled my earnings. And so far in December? I?m at $44 as of right now, so I?m almost certain I?m going to double last month?s earnings.

Before I ramble on too much, I?ll get to my inspirational part of the post. I know it?s been said over and over, but it can?t be stressed enough. DON?T GIVE UP. I?ve been a lot more active on BHW in the last few months, and I can?t even begin to count how many members I see join, ask very simple questions, only to finally quit or complain that they haven?t made any money yet. Look how long it took me to start earning. Treat this like a business. People generally don?t start businesses and hit riches overnight. And treat BHW like your educational tool, cause that?s really what it is. Really spend time reading through threads, learn from other peoples mistakes, ask questions, and so forth. And lastly, don?t sit around and waste time. Sure, I said read and learn, but what good is it if you don?t apply it? I was there myself. I would read, and read, and read, but would also be afraid to take the plunge. Do your research, pick something that is working for others, and GO FOR IT. I know it can be difficult to work long days, then check your Adsense account and only see a dollar or two. But hey, that dollar or two is you making progress.

And on a more?business ish note, do not be afraid to invest. You don?t necessarily NEED money to make money, but having money makes it a LOT easier to make money. I used to be afraid of investing into my online ventures, but ever since I?ve started putting some money into it, I?ve realized that the sky is the limit. Keep in mind, I?m not telling you to go out there and throw thousands of dollars into your ventures recklessly. I?m very careful with how I spend, and make sure I?m investing only where I need to, due to the fact that my budget is currently fairly limited. Treat it like a business, and budget. See where you can spend to grow your websites.

So what?s my next step? In the next month or so, I?ll be flipping my site that?s earning from Adsense. Why? Well, although I?m certainly a big fan of passive income, I think the money I can get from flipping it can help me grow my larger site. I?m getting low on cash, and want to start putting more time and focus into my larger site.

So, all in all?I?ve been a member of a few other forums, some IM related, some not, and I can tell you THIS: there is NO forum like BHW. This place is above all, and I mean that. I?ve met some great people, and what I love about this place is that people are willing to help others. You don?t see that in too many forums. It really is a one of a kind type of community. LONG LIVE BHW!

PS. I'm no expert, but I'd be more than glad to answer any questions people have. I know there are a lot of beginners around here, and I know how it feels. Fire away with questions.

Well, the current MNS of mine, I've spent around $70 on (the one that earned $140 last month). I didn't mention this in my thread, but I've moved away from micro niche sites, and am focusing on building larger, more quality sites.

Thanks dude Been a long road, but I'll tell you, I don't only consider IM my job. It's truly a hobby of mine. And I couldn't ask for more. After all, everyone wants a job that they love, and I've got it.

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